Combined milling and conveying apparatus



July 5, 1949. J. A. ERICKSON 2,475,382

COMBINED MILLING AND CONVEYING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 13, 1946- Q *ik l N g d w 5 n N '0 fr 1w I g- S+ a Q z s u. E E vj o ,fj E i ogo E ooo N E ooo R QD O 5 wz I N u. er a l D8 I u :l 5m Q N E t m T l11m om 35 2'* g uw N. ai. ZIU DlL NB 8% u l I. INVENTOR.

` e/a//f ./Z inc/60m A BY@ 4^? patented .hay 5, 1949 QFFICE COMBINEDMILLING ANn CONVEYING APPARATUS John A. Erickson, Manhattan, Kans.

Application February 13, 1946, Serial No. .647,369

Claims. l

Thisinvention relates to improvements in comjloined milling and conveying apparatus.

' The main objects-oflthis'invention are: y First, to provide a mill and conveying apparatus which isi'welladapted-for domestic use,` that is 'use d' by dairymenand farmers, which is simple. and economical in structure and installationand ,v eiiicient in the handling-of grain and the delivery of the-'ground grain or feed at the desired point.

Second-Q. to provideva milland conveying appai' ratus ofthis character whichis adapted to elevate grain or crushed c'orn,'chopped hay r other chop- -j-fped forage into overhead vbins so that it will feed by [gravity to the grinder or mill.

Thirdjto lprovide-jan apparatus having these f 'advantages which'A quite compact I and simple and economical inits parts. y

Objects relating to details andecon'omies of n theinvention .will appear from the description to follow. Theinvention' is denedand pointed out fA structurewhichv embodies thefeatures -of the [with a'- discharge" k--blower Inl "fthe` embodiment illustrated, the. grain' feed "bin' 3', and'jthe crushed Bins dischargezbyfgravity 'tothe'milll AThe main conveyor' 9 connected to and con` .sutures vthev discharge for the blower. This main i l'conveyor is, in the embodiment illustrated', jcon- 1 f nectedsto'fdeliver to thejseparatorrlc 'conventionf ally illustrated;theseparator being provided With` Qa discharge spout I I adjustable to deliverto either yof-the ground feed bins I2 and I31fas `is illustrated The conveyor feed. h opper :I4 is connected by thefchutefl 5' to deliver to themain elevating conveyorfconduit 1; at =the' reanfof the 'blower'. This driven bythe blower or.V the blowedriving means, he driving 'connections being `conventionally hewn atffl'l. The hopper .feed grain` bin I8 delivers by gravity'to'. the lfeed hopper I4 and is `-In .the -faccompanyin'g'drawing jl represents al mill -or grinder, ide'sfirablya hammer 'millj provided` 3o `fear.-'corn'fbinMami-provided With'sp'outs 5 andli,-

bythefdotted lines and the full .lines 45. feed.` hop'nf provided withaforce. feed and feedf regulator meansv at-,l 6 'and connected to 'beprovided with a regulating valve I9 shown conventionally. l

The ear. corn crusher and 'shredder 20 delivers through the discharge spout 2| to the hopper I4. 5 In normal operation the grain is fed to the hopper from the hopper feed bin I8 or the ear corn crusher and shredder 20 is operated. This combined ear corn crusher or shredder shells the'corn and shreds the cobs, andthe combined shredded l10pob and shelled corn are delivered to the hopper The grain discharged to the Ahopper from the grain bin I8 or the shelled and shredded cob materialmay be delivered to the bins 3 and 4 through the branch conveyor pipe 22 which is connected to the conveyor pipe or conduit 9 at `the rear .ofthe feed hopper I4.

. The branch 22 is provided with an adjustable spout 23 which may be adjusted to deliver to eitherbln 3 or 4. The valveor gate 24 lmay be adjusted to deliver the material throughA the -'branchfoi' through. themaln conveyor conduit beyondthe branch into -the separator Ill.v

Ordinarilythe-'g-round -`feed is. desired for use atconsiderable;distance fromthe mill or grinding machine,"fand itV isg'also desirable that. the ground feed-Fbislfbexin .an 'elevated position! so thatszthe round materialmay be Withdrawnjtherefrom .as

through the' spouts v2li.

ff-:Ifhav temptodt'o 'illustrate the relativeposition of the ground }feed/.loins` with ,otherfparts of-the mechanisrh-/exceptl that 4the feedis supplied to the groundfeed bins 4through-the conveyor conduit.

tempted gto illustrate parts in relative-size or dimension. 1

.through the hopper ',I4 at the rear of the blowerso 4o that the; grainl is ynot l's l'ilcnlect, to the impact yof the the stream, preventing clogging and"waste of .notffmith.aceompahyingwemwihg atintroduced in'` advance of .the blower.'y Broken. or

cracked grains" rapidly deteriorate... Thegrairi is. delivered throughthe forced. feed regulaton 4means/f1 6 1' in' the desired? amount to flow. through e the conducting conduit--witllout.breakage or 'te'n- .s ibn'; andthelflow of grain through thegair streamA being controlled, the correctamount is'r vfed'int.

' Also the'shredded cob and corn mixture delivered from the machine .designated or corn crusher is fed in desired amounts, that is in an amouncilsanv v conduit t'o the mill feed grain bin. At other times it is desirable to mill the corn and lcrushed cob and it is delivered to bin 4.

Itl will be understood' that the Adesignation-o bins is entirely arbitrary.

After thev material to be ground has been elevated into the grinder feed bins the valve or gate 24 isadiusted to close the branch conduit 22 and the mill supplied with the material to be ground which is conveyed by the blower through the main conveyor conduit to the separator, where a separator is present, and delivered from the separator into the desired ground feed bin, one being commonly used for the ground feed -containing the cob and the other for the whole grain.

While the legends on the drawing refer to grain, it should be noted that for some purposes chopped hay or other fodder ismilled or ground and in that event it is supplied to the hopper I4 so as to be fed through the feed regulating means in the desired quantity to prevent plugging, and also to provide an economical supply, that is an amount which can be effectively conveyed" through the conveyor. vThe ground hay or for-` age isdelivered into the feed bins and thento the mill and can be vtranslated to the desired'point through the main delivery conduit El.

My apparatus is efficient and handles material with a minimum of lifting 'and labor on the part grain and crushed ear-corn mill supply bins positioned to feed. by gravity to said mill, a main elevating conveyor conduit to which said blower l delivers, a supply hopper for said main conveyor conduitprovided with a. forced delivery means and disposed to deliver to said main conveyor vconduit on the discharge side of said blower and having driving connection' with the blower, a hopper supply bin having gravity discharge connection to said supply hopper, an ear-corn crusher having discharge connection to said supply hopper, a branch conveyor conduit connected to said main conveyor conduitvbetween 'said supply hopper and the end of said main conduit and having a' terminal discharge spout adjustable to 3. An apparatus of the class described com' prising a mill provided with a discharge blower,

a supply bin for said mill, a main elevating con-v veyor conduit to which said blower delivers, a supply hopper for said main conveyor conduit provided with a delivery regulating means and disposed to deliver to id 4main conveyor conduit on the dischargesise'of said blower. a hopper supply bin having a delivery -connection to said supply hopper, an ear-corn crusher having a delivery connection to said supply hopper, a separator to which said main conveyor delivers, a ground feed bin associated with said separator, a branch conveyor conduit connected to said v main conveyor conduit between said supply hop- 40 veyor or through the mainconveyor beyond the v grain and crushed ear-corn mill supply binspositioned to feed by gravity to said mill, a main elevating conveyor conduit to which said blower delivers, a supply hopper for said main conveyor conduit provided with a forced delivery means and disposed to deliver to said main conveyor conduit on the discharge'side of said blower and having driving connection with the blower, a hopper supply bin having gravity Idischarge connection to said supply hopper, an ear-corn crusher having discharge connection to said' supply hopper, a separatorto which said main conveyor delivers,

saidv separator having an adjustable dischargeY spout, ground feed bins associated with said separator spout -to selectively receive the ground feed discharged therefrom, a branch conveyor conduit connected to said main conveyor conduit between said supply hopper and said separator and having a terminal discharge spout adjustable to discharge either to the. crushed ear-corn bin or to the grain bin, and a valve arranged at the point' of connection of the branch conveyor to the main lconveyor and adjustable to direct the material vthrough the main conveyor to the Separator or through said branch conveyor to the mill supply bins.

2. An apparatus of the class described comprising a mill provided with a discharge blower,

per and said separator and delivering to said supply bin for said mill, anda valve for directing the conveyed material through the branch conbranch conveyor.

4. An apparatus` of the class described comprisinga mill provided with a discharge blower,

a supply bin for said mill, a main elevating conveyor conduit to which said blower delivers, a supply hopper for said main conveyor conduit provided with a delivery regulating means and disposed to deliver to said main conveyor` conduit on the discharge side of said blower, a hopper supply bin having a delivery connection to said supply hopper, an ear-corn crusher having a delivery connection to said supply hopper, a ground feed bin to which said main conveyor conduit delivers, a branch conveyor conduit connected to said main conveyor conduit between said supply hopper and said ground feed bin and delivering to said supply bin for said mill, and a valve for directing the conveyed material through the branch conveyor or through the main conveyor beyond the branch conveyor.

5. Anapparatus of the class described-comprising a mill, grain and `crushed ear-corn, supply bins for said mill, a blower operatively asso- -ciated with said mill, a main elevating conveyor conduit to which said blower delivers, a grainv lsupply hopperffor said main conveyor disposed to deliver thereto on thedischarge of the'blower. and provided with a forced-delivery regulating means, a hopper supply'bin having'a delivery connection to said supply hopper, an earf-corn crusher having discharge connection to said hopper,

ground feed bins, a separator to which said-main l 'conveyor delivers provided with ably associated with said ground feed bins, al

branch yconveyor conduit connected to said main a spout adjust.

and a valve for directing the material through 5 the main conveyor to the separatoror through the branch conveyor to the mill supply bins.

JOHN A. ERICKSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following referenlces are of record in the ille of this patent:

6 UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Toulmin Aug. 9, 1881 Rich Aug. 15, 1893 Sheppard Sept. 26, 1916 Barthelmess July 28, 1925 Kennedy Dec. 7, 1926 Hall Mar. 7, 1939 Everett Nov, 28, 1939 Shirley Oct. 8, 1940 Jorgensen Oct. 21, 1941 Arnold July 29, 1943 

